Families flocked to Ripon’s Hell Wath Nature Reserve at the weekend for the start of a programme of free summer activities that continues until August 18.

FunFest, organised by Ripon Together in partnership with Ripon Business Improvement District and with support from sporting and other organisations in the city, has been designed for children of all ages.

On Saturday afternoon, the Friends of Hell Wath (FOHW) staged a number of hands-on forest school activities from a drum and percussion workshop, led by Hayley Watkinson, to supervised river dipping in the Skell, where families could see some of the aquatic creatures that live there.

Natural rhythm – children and parents taking part in the drum and percussion workshop held in a forest clearing

Jeremy Dunford, secretary of FOHW, told the Stray Ferret:

“We were able to hold this event thanks to funding from the Skell Valley Project, and It was encouraging to see so many families coming to enjoy the natural resources that Hell Wath has to offer – from woodland to water and wide-open spaces.”

He added:

“Forest schools are growing in popularity at Ripon’s primaries and are helping young children to become more environmentally aware at a time when the world is witnessing the effects of climate change.”

Forest school’s Helen Gillespie (centre) teaches Chase (left) Harry (grey top) Taylon and Ellie, how to toast marshmallows safely on an open fire.

The focus is on Ripon Grammar School (RGS) and the city’s library for the next FunFest activities on Saturday, August 13.

With the cancellation of the wheelchair rugby demonstration, there is a change in the RGS programme, which will begin at 1pm.

Ripon Together Board member, David Ingham, said:

“It’s a shame that the wheelchair rugby teams cannot now be at our event.  However, there will still be lots to enjoy.”

This includes a climbing wall, accessible swimming for people with disabilities, kurling, boccia and large board games in addition to more traditional sports such as basketball, netball, volleyball and badminton.

Ripon Library will be the venue for bicycle MOTs, a Lego event, and sports and information roadshow.

On August 15, 16 and 18, Studley Royal Cricket Club, which now incorporates Ripon Spa Croquet Club, will be the setting for a wide range of sporting opportunities for children, including junior cricket, athletics and croquet coaching, an inflatable obstacle course, air rifle shooting and archery.

Though all events are free, booking is needed for some. Further details can be found by clicking here.

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• Ripon diving hero adds to his golden hoard

Two youth charities aiming to engage Ripon’s young people in positive activities believe they are being hindered by restricted access to recreational facilities.

Fencing installed at the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre has made the skate and bike park at Camp Close a no-go area for Inspire Youth’s support vehicle and the outreach sessions delivered from it.

The skate park adjacent to the leisure centre has, in previous years, provided a focal point for meeting with so-called ‘hard to reach’ children.

Jess Ward, founder and chief executive of Inspire Youth, told the Stray Ferret:

“Because we no longer have access to the site with our vehicle, we can’t hold our sessions there.

“That is a blow, because the kids see this as one of few places in Ripon where they can meet with us and talk about their issues, fears and concerns in a confidential way and one in which they will receive a sympathetic hearing.”

Jess Ward, CEO of Inspire Youth (right) is pictured at the Hell Wath football coaching session with Chloe Hickson of Harrogate Town FC (centre) and, from the left, Inspire’s Jodie Edwards, Marie Anderson and Lizzy Wickens

Ms Ward added:

“We are engaging with and supporting young people, some of whom feel they have been marginalised and unfairly blamed for the city’s problems of anti-social behaviour.

“It’s very much a case of giving a dog a bad name, but we are determined that we will not turn our backs on children who need help and encouragement, instead of constant criticism.

“They are our future and need to know that they are members of the community with a valuable contribution to make.”

Jayne Shackleton, Ripon YMCA’s community and development manager, said that young people had told the charity that they miss Inspire Youth’s outreach sessions and want to see them back at the skate park.

She added:

“We will continue to monitor the area and consult with young people and work alongside partners in the hope that the skate park will become and remain a safe, accessible space for young people and meet their needs”.

The original £10.2 million contract for the leisure scheme was to provide a new six-lane swimming pool, a fully refurbished leisure centre, children’s playground, a car park with charging points, in addition to restoration of the football pitch and landscaping of the site.

No ball games this summer at the Camp Close site

More than 14 months after the scheme was initially scheduled for completion, the project is almost £5 million over budget and further, as yet, undisclosed monies are to be committed by Harrogate Borough Council for ground stabilisation work under the leisure centre and provision of a temporary gym on site, while that work is carried out.

In the meantime, the playing fields donated in perpetuity by Alderman Wade for ‘the benefit of the children of Ripon’ will remain fenced off.

Last week, however,  with the support of Ripon Panthers Junior Football Club and Harrogate Town FC coach Chloe Hickson, Inspire Youth organised coaching sessions at Hell Wath and other locations are being sought.

What did the council have to say?

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said that Inspire Youth and the YMCA have not been denied access to the site.

They added:

“The skate park and basketball court are available for everyone to use and can be accessed via Knaresborough Road.

“Our community safety team work proactively with partners in Ripon around engagement with young people. And we encourage both of these organisations to continue do their outreach work in the area.”

In response to the Stray Ferret’s question about when children will be able to play football once more at Camp Close, the spokesperson, said:

“The football pitches will remain fenced off, while we carry out ground stabilisation works at the original Ripon Leisure Centre, to ensure people are kept safe while construction vehicles are moving round the site. This will be restored towards the end of the project.”

The council spokesperson, added:

“The plaque to recognise Alderman Wade will also be reinstated on completion of this multi-million pound investment for the people of Ripon.”

Read more:

• Ripon’s children pay the price for  ‘incompetent handling’
• Plan to open temporary gym at Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre
• Ripon leisure scheme, overdue and over budget

Some of Ripon’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens are at risk of missing out on payments designed to help them keep their heads above water in the current cost of living crisis.

That’s the view of Pat Clark, a church leader at the Salvation Army on Lead Lane, who is concerned that some are slipping through the net, by not claiming what is owed to them in the allotted timescale.

To assist families and individual to receive funds that they are entitled to, help is now on hand at drop-in sessions at the church hall.

These will be held on the first and third Tuesday of each month, between 9.30am and 11am. The sessions are open to people of all or no religion and the next one will be on August 16.

Ms Clark, who advises on issues of social justice, told the Stray Ferret:

“I have been investigating how residents not paying council tax by direct debit access the £150 rebate and  the bad news is that in these cases they have to apply directly through the Harrogate Borough Council website.

“This requires an email address to register an HBC account, which some people simply don’t have and there was no correspondence about this process until recently.

“Another problem with the process is that it throws up random errors which would deter most people.

“Many people don’t own a computer or a smart phone and they also get worried when an official-looking letter drops through their letterbox, assuming it is a bill, rather than information that can help them.”

Referring to a number of recent cases, she said:

“When I phoned the council, on a client’s behalf, to ask why his application had been turned down, I was told that it is happening randomly from time-to-time and each account had to be investigated and individually fixed.

“I have also been helping a client respond to an invitation to receive money from the Household Support Fund operated by North Yorkshire County Council.

“Again, the application process is online, requiring an email address and a smart phone or printer to access the e-voucher which can be spent at a supermarket.”

Ms Clark suspects that similar issues will arise when it comes to people receiving  their £400 energy grant and she recommends people living in houses of multiple occupation speak with their landlord at the earliest opportunity.

Ripon Cathedral is being urged by the city’s heritage watchdog to re-think its £6 million proposal to build on the gardens across the road from the iconic building.

The cathedral has been consulting on plans to erect a two-storey standalone building on parkland adjacent to the Old Courthouse Museum.

The building would include new toilets, a refectory, a gift shop and storage space.

But Ripon Civic Society chair Christopher Hughes told the Stray Ferret:

“We are not convinced that the proposed building is the necessary and only way to achieve the new proposal for a north side development.

“Therefore, we have been unable to give it our support.

“After extensive discussions and a breadth of informed opinion the response has been delivered to the cathedral authorities.”

Ripon Civic Society supports closing Minster Road but opposes the development on Minster Gardens.

Mr Hughes added:

“We agreed that development on the north side of the cathedral is preferable and that we support closure of Minster Road, but Minster Gardens is a significant open space for the city and has always been so.

“We consider that redevelopment of this has not been fully taken into account in the new proposal. Accordingly we strongly encourage re-examination of the stone yard land in cathedral ownership and production of an alternative building design.

“The stone yard is where we contend that a significant part of the cathedral’s accommodation requirements needs to be met.”

The north side proposal was put forward as an alternative to a previous plan for an extension built onto to the south of the cathedral.

Addressing  last month’s meting of Ripon City Council, the Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd. John Dobson said it was important to provide 21st century facilities that could serve the needs of parishioners and the growing number of visitors to the ancient building, which is celebrating its 1,350th anniversary this year.

He said:

“I hope that the city council will stand shoulder to shoulder with us in supporting a development that will benefit the Ripon economy by bringing more visitors.

“While coming to enjoy the splendour of the cathedral, they will have the opportunity to visit the many attractions that Ripon has to offer.”

Read more:

• Dean underlines the economic benefit to Ripon of cathedral proposal
• What does the Ripon Cathedral plan entail?

Harrogate district businesses and other organisations are being encouraged to provide details of defibrillator units on their premises.

The Defibs-Ripon Group, working closely with Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) has been at the forefront of installing and raising awareness about the location of defibrillators in the city, but is keen to make the Harrogate district aware of a wider initiative.

Group member Alec Lutton told the Stray Ferret:

“The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has created an online log in site called The Circuit, which provides locations throughout Britain of defibrillators that can be accessed 24/7 by emergency services.

Now, the BHF is looking to expand this, by registering the whereabouts of every defibrillator by including location details for all of the life-saving devices.

Mr Lutton added:

“This will be achieved by including the business names and postcodes for those ‘restricted access’ units on the premises of shops, leisure and hospitality, other businesses and organisations, where the devices are only available for use during working or opening hours.”

“Our contacts at YAS have asked us to encourage all those with such units to support this important initiative.

“There are currently 23 defibrillators in Ripon and the surrounding area that can be accessed 24 hours a day and, as a group, we would also like to add onto our locations list,  the  names and postcodes of Ripon-based businesses and organisations, where there is restricted access.”

Read more:

• Harrogate Hospital handles increase in heat-related illnesses
• Where are Ripon’s defibrillators?

Helping a heart attack victim

A heart attack or cardiac arrest could happen to anyone of any age at any time, day or night and the following advice is offered by defibrillator providers, if an incident arises:

• Start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) straight away, phone 999 and once you give the operator your location, they will tell you where the nearest defibrillator unit is.
• Do not leave the person on their own – send someone else for the defibrillator.
• The person sent for the unit, will be asked by the operator for the code on the front of the cabinet, and then given the code to open it and obtain the defibrillator.
• Each has a built-in voice instruction guide, to help you use it.

Bereaved families have accused dog owners who let their pets off the leash at a Ripon cemetery of being disrespectful and causing distress.

Jeanette Behan has visited the grave her husband Brian in Ripon’s Kirby Road Cemetery twice a week since 2014.

Mrs Behan, told the Stray Ferret:

“I’ve had to remove dog dirt from my husband’s grave on a number of occasions and I’m getting sick of it.

“It is disrespectful as well as distressing, but Harrogate Borough Council, who I contacted weeks ago, don’t appear want to know.

“I’m sorry to say that over the years, this place has gone to wrack and ruin, while Stonefall in Harrogate where I have family and friends buried, is kept neat and tidy by a team of gardeners.”

In the same section of the cemetery, the last resting place of Michael Hogan, who died in 2012, is looked after by his partner Tracey Bland.

Ms Bland said:

“The thought that some people are so disrespectful that they are happy to let their dogs run free in a cemetery, is beyond belief.

“When they are challenged, the say that they haven’t seen any signs to say dogs are not allowed, but why would anybody need to see a sign, when it’s a matter of common decency.

“I’ve got a dog and there is no way that I would let it run free across people’s graves.”

Some owners are ignoring this sign at the main entrance to the cemetery and letting their dogs run free

Ms Bland at her partner Michael’s grave

Read more:

• Harrogate Borough Council accused of being disrespectful of Ripon’s dead
• Ripon Cemetery headstones daubed with graffiti

Seeking action from Harrogate Borough Council

With a lack of response from HBC, Mrs Behan called for intervention from independent councillor, Pauline McHardy, who also has relatives buried at the cemetery and has voiced concerns about the management and maintenance of the site.

Cllr McHardy, said:

“I raised the matter with council officers, saying that there was a need for signage on all entrances to the cemetery to be improved and positioned where it can be seen by everybody.

“I also asked for the appropriate action to be taken to enforce the rule, which only allows people with assistance dogs to enter the cemetery.”

In an email response seen by the Stray Ferret, Alison Wilson, HBC’s head of parks and environmental services, said she has asked a colleague:

“to look at the signage options for the site to advise that only support dogs are allowed and also raised the issue with the dog warden service in Safer Communities requesting they undertake some patrols of the site. “

Cllr McHardy, added:

“I will be monitoring the situation.”

The Inn Collection Group, has begun redevelopment work on Ripon’s Spa Hotel and aims to have it completed by next spring.

A spokesperson for the company, confirmed in a brief statement this morning:

“We recently appointed STP Construction to redevelop the Ripon Spa Hotel, and work began this month and we’re looking complete it by spring 2023.”

The news follows hot on the heels of Sterne Properties’ announcement that it plans to return Ripon’s Spa Baths to its former Edwardian splendour, having purchased the Grade II listed building for an undisclosed sum from Harrogate Borough Council.

The Spa Hotel, which was in the ownership of the Hutchinson family for decades, opened a year after the baths and the two, nestling alongside Spa Gardens and Spa Park, were key elements of Ripon’s stylish spa quarter.

The elegant Edwardian building shut at the start of the covid pandemic in March 2020 and was subsequently put on the market

The 40-bedroom hotel, set in six acres of gardens, features public rooms including a ballroom, terrace bar and self-contained Turf Tavern Bar Bistro.

At the time of purchasing the property in June 2021, The Inn Collection Group said that a major, but sympathetic refurbishment would be carried out to enhance and repurpose the venue and bring it in line with The Inn Collection Group’s award-winning ‘Eat, Drink, Sleep and Explore’ brand.

Company managing director Sean Donkin, added:

“The Ripon Spa is a fantastic addition to our portfolio of properties. It has huge potential which we have an exciting vision to realise. We’re looking forward to starting that journey while expanding the group’s footprint in Yorkshire.”

“The Inn Collection Group excels at revitalising classic, landmark sites like The Ripon Spa and realising their full potential with significant capital spend, detailed planning and care to retain the unique, historic character of landmark sites such as this.”

The fast-expanding Northumberland-headquartered group has numerous hotels in the north and has been steadily adding to its Yorkshire portfolio, with the Spa Hotel joining The Dower House in Knaresborough and George Hotel  in Harrogate as recent acquisitions.

Read more:

• The Inn Collection Group purchases Ripon’s Spa Hotel
• Plan to return Ripon’s Spa Baths to its former glory

In this 1,350th anniversary year for Ripon, full celebrations for the city’s patron saint are making a return for the first time in three years.

Covid lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, meant that there was only limited activity organised in those years by the St Wilfrid’s Procession Committee to keep the tradition alive.

But on Saturday, the parade, which attracts thousands to the city’s streets, will be back in force – starting on Studley Road at 1.30pm and finishing at Ripon Cathedral at 4.15 – where a service will be held,

The 24-stage parade timetable and route, which will see numerous temporary road closures, can be seen by  clicking here.

The St Wilfrid parade will finish at Ripon Cathedral, where a service to celebrate the city’s patron saint will be held at 4.30.

Led by an actor on horseback, playing the role of St Wilfrid, the parade will be accompanied by the award-winning Ripon City Band and will include decorated floats with designs created by businesses and organisations.

Held on either the last Saturday of July or the first Saturday in August each year, the St Wilfrid’s Parade is a unique event, whose origins date back to 1108 when King Henry I granted a royal charter to the City Of Ripon to hold an annual fair.

St Wilfrid is celebrated as the man, who in AD 672, founded the church in the location where Ripon’s iconic cathedral now stands and the stonework in the crypt, dating back to that year, is the oldest remaining building remnant to be found in any English cathedral.

Ripon City Council event

While the revelry is on-going around Ripon’s streets, the city council is marking a much more recent tradition on Market Square from 2pm on Saturday.

The Celebrating Yorkshire Day event starts at 2pm with free fairground rides for all the family, a climbing wall, face painting and Punch and Judy shows.

At 6pm, local singer songwriter Freddie Cleary, kicks off an evening of free musical entertainment and he will be followed  on stage by tribute acts, either side of the 9pm setting of the watch ceremony performed by one of the Ripon hornblowers.

Read more:

• A year of celebration for Ripon’s Patron Saint
• Ripon businesswoman shows the art of restoration

Ripon has suffered its second banking blow in the space of nine weeks, with the announcement that the Halifax Bank branch will close on November 14.

The closure of the branch on Market Square South, comes after Barclays advised its customers in May that it is closing its branch on August 25.

Reacting to the closure announcement, Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams, told the Stray Ferret:

“This is a bad news for Ripon, as we will be going from three high street banks to one, with the city left with just the HSBC branch.

“We are a growing city whose population is set to increase by up to a quarter by 2030 with new housing coming on stream.

“Among that increased population there will be many elderly people who either do not know how to use online banking, or are fearful of it.”

Closing on August 25 – Barclays Bank in Market Square East

Cllr Williams, added:

“With Christmas just four months away, the timing could not be worse for Ripon’s independent retailers, particularly due to the fact that after the Barclays and Halifax closures, residents and tourists visiting the city centre will not have access to cash machines outside normal trading hours.

“Not everybody wants to pay for a meal in a restaurant or a drink in a pub, with a plastic card.”

Figures produced by the Halifax as part of its explanation of the closure decision, shows that 22 percent of branch customers are 75 and above, while a further 37 percent are aged between 55 and 74.

The Halifax explains its decision

In its announcement, the bank, said:

“Following an in-depth review, this branch will close on 14th November 2022

“Like many other high street businesses, we’ve seen people using our branches less frequently in recent years as more customers choose to do most of their everyday banking online.

“We’re responding to the way our customers use our branches. We’ll continue to invest in our branch network, but we have to make sure our branches are where customers need and use them most.

“As a result, we’ve made the difficult decision to close this branch because customers are using it less often. In addition the majority of customers are also using alternative ways to bank.”

A dozen years ago, when Aelita Redeniece left Latvia she was prepared to take any job to get her foot onto the UK employment ladder.

The degree that she gained at the Art Academy of Latvia in Riga, opened the door to work as a graphic designer and then marketing manager in the Baltic country, but with the move across Europe, her professional and artistic skills were put on hold as she worked first in an egg packing factory and later in a care home.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“I was learning to speak English, but was not fluent at that time and that meant I didn’t have the confidence to apply for jobs more suitable for my qualifications.”

But, with encouragement from her partner and a couple of lucky breaks, she has finally been able to unleash her talent and is now running The Repair Shop – a highly successful business located within Halls of Ripon.

The focus is on refurbishing, re-upholstering  and returning furniture to use – from much-treasured family heirloom pieces to chaise lounges given a new lease of life.

Through studies in Riga that earned her a fine arts degree, Aelita was taught how to use her hands to form clay into ceramic bowls, jugs and other items.

Now she has turned her hand and eye for detail to a different medium, making the step from potter’s wheel to busy workshop.

But why upholstery?

It may be that fate guided her, as Aelita explains:

“I bought a book in a charity shop about how to repair furniture and within days of reading it, I met, by pure chance, a craftsman upholsterer.

“After a brief conversation he very kindly agreed to take me on as his apprentice and teach me the skills he had gathered over more than 50 years.

“At first, I was doing simple tasks, but as I progressed, he gave me more complex things to do and eventually complete re-upholstery jobs.

“He is a lovely man and when I completed my apprenticeship and set up on my own working from home, he also put work my way.”

A showcase at Halls of Ripon

A second slice of serendipity came when Aelita enquired about the possibility of setting up her repair shop at Halls of Ripon.

She pointed out:

“I spoke with Mike Cooper because I noticed that there were second-hand sofas and chairs on sale there and he saw the synergy between this aspect of the business and the services that I provide.

“He, and the other independent traders at the department store, could not have been more helpful or friendly and with an affordable weekly rent, I was able to create my own showcase, with a unit that includes Victorian-style windows that were purchased from Lightwater Valley.”

Aelita has a growing order book from local, regional and national customers.

She is pictured above with an elegant French-style antique chair that she has fully refurbished for a customer who lives in Scotland and is a regular visitor to Ripon.

Aelita pointed out:

“Having seen The Repair Shop programme on TV, they wondered if I could renovate the chair and source a hunting print fabric for it.”

It now has pride of place back in the customer’s home, while many other sofas and chairs, have been diverted from a trip to the tip and returned to their former glory.

Read more:

• The sink or swim history of taking the plunge in Ripon
• A sparkling anniversary for Ripon’s department store